UN / Geneva: NPWJ and NRPTT convene side event on Transitional justice and accountability in Libya

27th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Geneva, 17 September 2014

On the occasion of the 27th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, No Peace Without Justice and the Nonviolent Radical Party, Transnational and Transparty (NRPTT) convened a side event on “Libya: Transitional justice and accountability as necessary measures to halt the humanitarian and political crisis”, which was held on Wednesday 17 September 2014 (from 10:00 to 11:30), at the Palais des Nations (Room XXVII).

Panelists of the meeting, which was chairedby Mr Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, Secretary General of No Peace Without Justice, included Mr Farag Agaile, Lawyer and Human Right Activist, Mr Ibrahim Ben Younes, Libya Program Officer for NPWJ in Tripoli, Ms Francesca Del Mese, legal expert in the field of human rights and sexual violence, Mr Khaled Said Al Agily, Member of National Council,for Civil Liberties and Human Rights in Libya.

Since mid-May 2014, Libya has witnessed a turbulent period of political volatility and an outburst of violence between armed groups, which have led to a deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation and to a further polarisation of the political spectrum. Libya’s political future and long-term stability will be defined by what will happen in the next few months. The way in which the current political and humanitarian crisis is handled will have serious consequences for the development of political and societal institutions and their ability to protect and expand the civil and political rights of Libyans.

As highlighted during the meeting, it is crucial that transitional justice initiatives continue to be (and be perceived to be) relevant to the political debate within Libya and on Libya and that political attention to transitional justice processes is not overshadowed by security and military concerns. The few seeds of transitional justice mechanisms already implanted in the Libyan legislative system have the potential to channel current tensions and frictions into inclusive and open processes, fostering a culture of dialogue, responsibility and accountability within Libyan political dynamics.

Ensuring that transitional justice mechanisms remain at the center of the national dialogue is one of the main tools for the international community to assist the Libyan authorities in building up those critical State institutions, such as the justice system, that can guarantee equality in front of the law, accountability and personal responsibility for all citizens. These are fundamental elements without which a democratic, peaceful and stable regime cannot be established or sustained. The Rule of Law, with human rights and transitional justice at the core of the strategy, needs to become the overreaching political objective for any initiative on Libya.

NPWJ in Libya
NPWJ has been working on the Libyan transition since early 2011, in the framework of its project to support Libya’s democratic transition through justice and accountability. As the country embarks on legislative reforms, the Libyan authorities can break with the legacy of impunity and abuses that typified Gaddafi’s rule with a new respect for the rule of law and a commitment to restoring justice and dignity to victims. Doing so requires not only the investigation and prosecution of the crimes and violence perpetrated during the revolution, but also efforts to confront a history of oppression and human rights abuses that dates back decades under the rule of the former regime.